Another Twitchy Booking

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Hanorah
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Another Twitchy Booking

Post by Hanorah »

I had an email a few weeks ago from a young lady who is 21 is from America but is in the army and based in Korea (yes I know). I politely explained that I was concerned about her age as she wanted to go with two other girls as I remembered myself and mates at that age. I said due to this if I did take a booking I would need to increase the security deposit from £150 to £400. I also said I could only accept credit card bookings for people not based in the UK.

I fully expected never to hear from her again mentioning credit card payments seems to have put them all off so far. She then started emailing me saying she was having trouble using the online booking and credit card payment through Villa Renters. I thought, of course you are, and again replied credit card only and advised she contact the site if she was having problems. I thought well at least she is persistent.

She then advised me that her boyfriend lived in Turkey about an hour away from us which was why she wanted to stay somewhere near him but where there were historical sites too. I asked if he would be staying and she said no. I said thats good because it would not be possible anyway because Dikili is a small old fashioned resort and the neigbours would not look on this kindly. I also told a little white lie that my inlaws lived a few doors away!! Basically everything I could do to put her off.

Imagine my surprise when the credit card payment arrived and a very nice email saying that for some reason Korea has to manually unblocked for credit card payments. I am at a loss now and feel slightly mean. She emailed yesterday and said could I pass the address as she needed this for her army superiors as they needed to know exactly where she was going. I am still a bit nervous about this booking but do not feel I can back out.

Does anyone know if what she says is correct and that they would need the address. I have explained that I do not pass the address until the security deposit and balance have been received. I have asked her to get her superiors to contact me and I can explain the policy or pass it on to them if absolutely necessary. Of course my imagination is running wild will the boyfreind who lives an hour away break in and steal all my goodies. Luckily we are in the sights of the hotels security guard who we pay to watch our villa too. Have these spams got us completely paranoid or what.
Always Learning
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

She then advised me that her boyfriend lived in Turkey about an hour away from us which was why she wanted to stay somewhere near him but where there were historical sites too. I asked if he would be staying and she said no. I said thats good because it would not be possible anyway because Dikili is a small old fashioned resort and the neigbours would not look on this kindly.
To be quite honest, I don't see anything untoward about this booking, the credit card payment has gone through. Normally once we receive a confirmed booking i.e. the deposit has been paid, we send out details about the location and directions to our villa.

Sorry, but it seems a bit archaic to ask whether her boyfriend would be staying? She is 21! You say that 'Dikili is a small old fashioned resort and that neighbours would not look on this kindly'.....but would you turn down an enquiry from an unmarried couple wanting to rent your property?

In my opinion I think it reasonable that someone serving in the armed forces is required to give details of where they are staying while on holiday..for security reasons...but that just seems to be common sense to let your superiors know where you are while on holiday.
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vrooje
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Post by vrooje »

I think you've done everything right so far, including asking her supervisors to contact you directly and allowing her to book since she seems so keen on it and did agree to the larger deposit.

Have you tried googling her? You might be able to validate her identity that way, and maybe even learn more about her.
Brooke
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Hanorah
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Post by Hanorah »

Hi Crystal I know what you mean and if her boyfriend was not Turkish it would not be a problem. Hotels in Turkey will not allow Turkish men that are unmarried to share a room with a foreigner. This is a totally different culture and although I don't have to agree with it, which I don't, it is the way things are over there epsecially in a traditonal resort like Dikili. What I am basically saying it could affect our relationship with the neigbours they might think we are immoral in effect we are letting our property be used as a knocking shop my inlaws words not mine. If the people were unmarried and of an different nationality it would not be a problem I am not normally the moral police so please don't get the wrong idea about me.
Always Learning
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

Hotels in Turkey will not allow Turkish men that are unmarried to share a room with a foreigner. This is a totally different culture
Well...it did make me wonder why you were so worried on the boyfriend sharing the accommodation, :oops: so my apologies, I didn't realise that the cultural laws are still very strict over there.
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Hanorah
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Post by Hanorah »

The other point of course is to remember that not all enquiries that smell a bit fishy are necessarily so. If I was her I would have cancelled by now, she must think I am a very weird woman (my husband would probably agree).
Always Learning
A-two
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Post by A-two »

Hanorah,

We do not mask the exact location of our property and have never been concerned about people knowing exactly where it is located. Local people call me fairly frequently and ask if they can drive by and see it from the outside. You only need to click the directions on our website to know exactly where it is. It doesn't seem odd to me that her superiors would want to know given the circumstances, so I wouldn't be concerned about giving the address directly to her, assuming she is telling you the truth. If memory serves, anyone in the miltary has .mil somewhere in their email address.
Waves from America
levelsteps
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Post by levelsteps »

I served for 25 years in the Royal Navy. It was a requirement that I always supply an address at which I could be contacted when on leave. I see nothing unusual in her asking for the address.
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Hanorah
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Post by Hanorah »

Hi I should have also mentioned she had not given me any personal details ie address phone number and the email was a yahoo account. I asked her to update her details on the villa renters site so now have an address and telephone number. I will phone the number just to confirm and will then pass on the address.
Always Learning
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

Hanorah..well I am surprised she has given you her address and contact telephone number as far as I am aware someone serving in the armed forces is not allowed to give personal details to anyone, especially over the internet :? To be quite honest, I would ask for some 'authenticity' (i.e. an email reference from her military superior) ...that would hopefully resolve the situation.
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Hanorah
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Post by Hanorah »

The address seems to be for the camp she is serving in is this allowed as its not her home address. I will follow up with a phone call just to be sure but it seems to be missing the country code or its incorrect. I normally have pretty good instincts and for some reason I am still very hesistent about this booking. I know a lot of you think I am over reacting but if I can not contact her by phone and do not have an address where I can contact her I will not have a lot of comeback if things go wrong in the booking.
Always Learning
A-two
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Post by A-two »

Hanorah,
Given your new posts today, I think you're right to be hesitant. This girl has a lot of negatives against her right now. I'm not meaning to imply anything, and maybe it's a stretch, but she could be trying to book the house as a gift for her local boyfriend to throw a party that she has no intention to attend herself. I mean, you just don't have enough information right now to make an informed decision.

We negotiated with a US military family a while ago (husband and wife both army doctors). When one of them was called up, they had to postpone, so I didn't get to the point of asking for a physical address, but when she contacted me by email, it was using her official US military email address. They all have them and I think you're entitled to ask her to send you an email from that, not a freebie email address that could be from anybody. You can then check her IP number to see where it is originating. Also, I think you need her correct phone number (if she's in the US, it starts with a numeral 1, which is the country code, then 3 numbers for the area code, then another 7 numbers, so it's +1 (000) 000-0000. You can also call the camp and ask to speak to her by name, or leave a message for her to call back. Otherwise how do you know that she is who she says she is?
Waves from America
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